Like many others working in the tech industry, the pandemic had dramatically changed our working life over the last few years. Spending more time at home, away from colleagues, created a more challenging working environment for us.

When it was announced we would be going to Portugal for a team-bonding exercise we were excited for some face-to-face time with colleagues.

Initially, the trip was postponed due to the Covid lockdowns in Turkey, where our tech team are based, so we had to wait a while before we could. 

In preparation, we created an app to keep our fellow ‘Bumpees’ up to date with timetables, flight times and menus for evening meals. The organisers of the trip used the app to send notifications to the attendees. We also had to make sure our visas were applied for and approved, which was a very lengthy process.

When June 2022 arrived, we were ready to go. The team jumped on a plane from Ankara to Lisbon – flight time, 8 hours! We reached Lisbon and headed to our hotel in Ericeira, a small surfer town about 50 minutes from the centre of Lisbon.

Then it was time for the retreat to begin. First on the agenda was meeting the rest of the team face-to-face. Having only seen most of the team members on video calls, it was interesting to see how we shared many of the same values and goals.

The following days were filled with activities, workshops, motivational speakers, and a little time to spend on the beach too! The whole experience was unforgettable and has really brought the team closer together.

Semih Özden graduated with a 3.45 GPA from Orta Doğu Teknik University, Ankara and has over 5 years of experience as a front and back-end developer. 

He has worked as a React developer for Bumper for almost 2 years and is responsible for designing and creating JavaScript-based applications for web or mobile environments. 

Our tech team reflect on their trip to Portugal

A blocked DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter) can cause serious engine issues, reducing power and increasing fuel consumption. 

Common symptoms include the DPF warning light, loss of power, black smoke, and poor fuel economy. This guide explains the signs of a clogged DPF and how to fix it.

A DPF filter captures harmful soot particles from diesel exhaust, holding them until they can be burned into less harmful ash through a high-temperature regeneration process.

 Since 2009, DPFs have been mandatory on 

A blocked Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) is a common issue in diesel vehicles, with the flashing orange DPF warning light being the most obvious sign. 

But there are other symptoms to watch for, such as:

The most obvious sign of a blocked DPF is the illuminated 

 This indicates that the filter is clogged and may need to be regenerated or cleaned.

Loss of Engine Power & Sluggish Acceleration

If your engine feels sluggish and lacks the usual power, it could be due to a blocked DPF. This restriction can limit the engine's efficiency and performance, causing a noticeable loss of power.

A blocked DPF can prevent your engine from revving past a certain RPM. This is because the engine’s exhaust gases can’t flow freely, which can cause the vehicle to feel restricted.

When the DPF is clogged, incomplete combustion of fuel can cause 

 to be emitted from the exhaust. This is an indication that the engine is struggling to properly filter exhaust gases.

A clogged DPF can lead to starting issues, especially if the filter is severely blocked. If your vehicle struggles to start, it could be related to poor exhaust flow due to the blocked filter.

When the DPF is not functioning optimally, your vehicle may burn more fuel than usual, resulting in 

This happens because the engine works harder to push exhaust gases through the clogged filter.

In many modern vehicles, the start-stop function helps save fuel by turning off the engine when idling. 

A blocked DPF can cause this function to stop working, as the engine may need to stay running to maintain exhaust flow.

A strong smell of diesel inside the cabin could indicate that the DPF is not properly filtering the exhaust gases. This can result in unburned fuel entering the cabin, which can be harmful to both the driver and passengers.

Noticed some clogged DPF symptoms? Here are a few quick fixes for each problem.

If any of the issues above persist, a professional DPF clean may be necessary to restore optimal performance and prevent further damage to your vehicle.

You can use DIY techniques to tend to minor DPF problems. These basic fixes include driving at a higher speed and using a DPF cleaning additive.

While these can help clear blocked DPF symptoms, it’s best to consult a professional for thorough cleaning in case the blockage is significant. In a few cases, you may need a replacement, which is always best done by a professional.

What happens if you ignore a blocked DPF?

Ignoring a blocked DPF can lead to poor engine performance, increased fuel consumption, and potentially severe engine or exhaust system damage. 

These can even lead to costly repairs and reduced vehicle lifespan. Not ideal! If you think your diesel particulate filter is clogged, get it checked out as soon as possible. 

Luckily, you can avoid a clogged DPF. Here are the top 3 tips drivers need to know to ensure their diesel particulate filter isn’t clogged.

Sadly, diesel cars aren’t great if you only want to pop to and from the shops. 

The exhaust needs to be hot to burn off the soot. If it never reaches a temperature high enough, it will only become more blocked. 

To mitigate this, ensure at least once a week it makes a journey above 40mph for over 30 minutes, or more if possible. This is your sign to hit the motorway!

Special oils have been developed for use in DPF-fitted cars. These have lower element content to avoid soot buildup (e.g. Sulphated Ash, Phosphorus and Sulphur). 

You'll find these labelled low SAPS at any regular shop selling engine oil. For more information about oils, find out 

3. Take care of any other engine issues promptly

Diesels are generally more complex than petrol engines. They have more components that can fail and cause issues with DPFs. 

You should pay close attention to any issues on:

The above can cause excess oil or soot to exit the engine through miss-fueling or oil consumption. These will clog up a DPF in record time, so be on the lookout for 

How long does a DPF last before it needs replacing? 

A DPF typically lasts between 80,000 to 150,000 miles. This can depend on your driving habits and vehicle maintenance. 

Regular long drives help extend its lifespan, while lots of stop-start city driving may cause it to wear out sooner. 

A DPF replacement costs between £800 to £2,000.

DPF replacement costs are affected by the vehicle's make and model, the type of DPF required, labour costs, and whether the DPF is an aftermarket or original part.

Some garages specialise in replacement DPFs, but generally, most normal garages can remove and replace a DPF. 

With proper maintenance and regular longer journeys, a DPF can last up to 100,000 miles. So, don’t delay those road trips—frequent driving helps keep the DPF functioning well.

Yes, it’s illegal, and you’ll face an invalidated insurance policy and a fine (up to £1,000 for cars and around £2,500 for vans). 

Even if your diesel particulate filter is clogged, you should never remove it.

Think your DPF is clogged? Hopefully, this blog has helped you understand DPF clogs, the symptoms, and how to prevent this problem. While you hopefully won't face this pesky issue, knowing how to navigate it will help you save time if it happens.

If you need to fix your DPF and are worried about costs, Bumper is here to help.

, you can split the cost of DPF replacements and other repairs into monthly instalments, completely interest-free.

Choose from thousands of trusted and reliable repairers.

How to know if your DPF is blocked

Hoe weet je of je roetfilter (DPF) verstopt is?

¿Cómo saber si el Filtro de Partículas Diésel (FAP) está obstruido?

So erkennen Sie, ob der Dieselpartikelfilter (DPF) verstopft ist

We’re thrilled to announce the Dealership of the Month for September 2022 is Arden BMW and Mini Maidstone. Our Business Development Consultant for the Southeast, Jack McHale, met with Elise to present her with the award. 

The meeting was an opportunity for us to catch up with the team at Arden and discuss how Bumper’s PayLater product can be improved for the customer and service advisors using it on-site. 

The team’s successful month using Bumper is certainly shown in their Trustpilot reviews. ‘Great experience, service is great’, wrote one customer. Another said, ‘Easy decision really. Why not spread the cost?’ 

We’ll done to Elise, Marc, Stephen, and the rest of the team on an outstanding month using Bumper to help split the cost of customer’s repair bills into interest-free monthly payments. Here’s to many more! 

Dealership of the Month: Arden BMW and Mini Maidstone 

This Halloween we are celebrating some of the most iconic cars featured in movies fit for Halloween! We’ve narrowed them down to our top 5 favourites – some due to their looks and others because of their heroic nature! Take a look at the cars and their movies listed below and see if you agree: 

It would be impossible to write this list without including the wonderfully colourful Mystery Machine! It isn't completely clear what this green and blue van with orange daisies is, but it is often believed by fans to be either a Dodge A100 or a Chevy G-Body. 

Usually driven by the character Fred Jones, this famous ‘van’ features in the Scooby-Doo TV series since 1969 and then later in two movies. The Mystery Machine earns its place in our Halloween list not only because of our fond memories of the Scooby-Doo franchise but also because in one early episode it comes to life and goes rogue! 

4. Cadillac Series 62 - Nightmare on Elm Street 

Featured in this beloved classic of the horror genre, this beautiful red 1958 Cadillac Series 62 really is a car to die for.

Well, perhaps not. Belonging to Glen, the boyfriend of the leading character Nancy, this car plays a vital role at the end of the film when all appears calm again and Freddy Krueger has evaporated. On an innocent journey to school, the car becomes possessed by Freddy and the green and red striped top of the car suddenly comes down and locks them in before driving uncontrollably down the street with Marge dragged in through the window! 

Ok, so this isn't really a Halloween movie, but this magical car from the wonderful world of wizardry surely deserves its place on the list. Originally a standard Ford Anglia until bewitched under the ownership of Arthur Weasley and used to fly (not drive!) his family around. 

The car becomes a star of its own right in the second Harry Potter film of the series, The Chamber of Secrets when it is stolen by Arthur’s son Ron along with Harry and used to take them to school. 

The car becomes entangled in and then engulfed by the famous Whomping Willow on the grounds of Hogwarts School. It features again later in the film when it comes to the rescue of Harry, Ron and Fang the dog from the vicious Aragog’s family.

Appearing in all four films from 1984 to 2021 as well as the animated television series and video games, we think it’s fair to say that everyone recognises this car! 

The Ectomobile, AKA the Ecto-1 is based on a 1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor Sentinel. This fictional vehicle was originally designed by Steven Dane who is quite rightly, listed in the credits as Hardware Consultant. 

Featuring several gadgets as well as its ‘proton cannon’ mounted on top, this car is responsible for transporting the Ghost Busters and their ghost-busting equipment on their missions around New York City. 

Due to its popularity, a miniature replica of this car has been mass-produced and sold as toys all over the world. 

Taking our number 1 spot in the list is this hero of all hero cars. The Batmobile! A heavily customised armoured tactical assault car relied upon for its speed during a pursuit, it's fair to say that Batman would not be Batman without this car.

First appearing in the comic series in May 1939 as a red car, it has featured the iconic bat motif and has had many customisations and facelifts throughout the years reflecting the evolution of technology. The several iterations from the comic books and TV series to the films and video games have kept the car current and incredibly popular. 

The Batmobile as we know it now is a sporty and mean-looking black car that can also self-drive.

In the mood for a scare? Check out our list of 

Our top 5 cars from scary movies 

With spooky season-season fast-approaching, we’ve put together this handy guide to the most haunted roads in Britain. To help you plan that Halloween getaway route (if there is such a thing), we’ve given each entry on this list a rating on the spook-o-meter. So without further-a-ghoul let's get into it. 

One of the oldest roads in the country, this route was built over 2,000 years ago by the Ancient Romans. And it seems they were rather keen on the 230-mile route from Birmingham to Carlisle, as they decided to stick around. It has been reported by many drivers that ghostly Roman soldiers have been marching across the road in the dead of night. 

It's good to have pride in your work. We've awarded this with a 3/10 on the spook-o-meter. We're pretty sure we can handle a few revenant Romans. 

The A229 (spine-chilling Suffolk to creepy Kent) 

Our next road on the list is, according to some sources, the most haunted road in England. That’s right it’s the A229 from Suffolk to Kent. Legend has it that along this road the ghost of a hitchhiker will ask you for a ride. Once on board, he’ll take his seat on the passenger side and start to tell you his stories, but then he will completely vanish in an instant! 

But that’s not the only reason to avoid the A229. It's also believed to be haunted by the ghost of a bride who tragically died on her wedding day. She's said to have walked the road ever since. 

A definite 6/10 on the spook-o-meter. We'll look for an alternative route on our next trip to Kent. 

The final entry on our list is without a doubt our scariest. During construction of the Stocksbridge Bypass linking Sheffield to Manchester, night-time security guards reported seeing several children laughing and singing in the dead of night. Construction workers on the bypass also spoke of children dressed in ‘old fashioned clothes’ dancing in the road. 

Also, during construction, guards saw a cloaked figure that later vanished. Soon after, presumably traumatised by the events, one of the guards quit their position. Investigating officers on the scene claimed their car began to shake whilst an unknown figure had its torso pressed up against the window. 

Over the years, reports have also been made of children playing by the pylons and some other drivers have even said they’ve had to swerve to avoid bodies in the middle of the road. 

Very spooky indeed. We're giving this one an 8/10 on the spook-o-meter and will definitely be giving this one a by-pass. 

Looking for more spooky content? Take a look at our list of 

Scariest places to break down UK 

, cars fitted with ABS are 48% less likely to be involved in road traffic accidents than those without. It’s hard to put a number on the number of lives saved, but anyone with experience trying to stop in wet weather in a car without ABS knows how brilliant the technology is.

ABS enables inexperienced drivers to brake safely in wet conditions, with a much reduced risk of losing control or skidding. 

In this article, we’ll discuss how you know your ABS is working and signs it has a fault. We’ll also look at what ABS does and what to do if your ABS is faulty.

If you recently had to brake very harshly, particularly on a wet or gravelled surface, and you felt the brake pedal and front of the car shake slightly and heard a fast juddering sound, this is your ABS system working.

If your ABS light is on, you might have a fault in the system. Here are the four main reasons the light may appear:

Symptoms of an ABS fault are hard to pinpoint. If in any doubt you should always take the car to a mechanic to have the system checked, before continuing to drive. 

Here are three key ABS pump failure symptoms every driver should know.

The wheel speed sensors are often used by other systems, such as traction control, so the car's ECU constantly monitors the output. If any becomes faulty, the vehicle should display an ABS warning light on the dashboard.

One symptom is if your front wheels lock and skid upon hard braking. This can be heard easily if the windows are down but can sometimes be hard to hear in the cabin. The car will feel like it has suddenly hit ice, and the steering will be heavy but unresponsive until the brakes are released.

3. Brake power reduces under hard braking

If the ABS pump fails, braking power can disappear when the ABS activates, often going unnoticed until needed. Given the risks, have the system checked by a professional immediately if you have any concerns.

Before we continue, we’ll quickly recap what ABS means. 

An anti-lock braking system consists of a few key components not found in non-ABS-equipped vehicles. Its basic purpose is to prevent the wheels from locking or skidding under hard braking.

Modern brakes are very powerful. Without ABS, it would be easy for them to lock up the wheels under emergency braking conditions. This is especially important on wet roads.

It may seem counterintuitive, but releasing the brakes helps slow the car more effectively than skidding wheels. Steering also only works when wheels are turning, so ABS allows you to brake and steer simultaneously.

ABS systems are extremely beneficial to drivers. Here are some key advantages they offer:

The ABS system consists of three main components: an Electronic Control Unit (ECU), an ABS pump/modulator, and ABS sensors. 

All three parts, along with the standard braking system, need to be in good condition for the system to function properly. Here’s a quick breakdown of each.

An Electronic Control Unit is a computer that manages various vehicle functions by processing data from sensors and controlling related components. It oversees tasks like engine management, transmission control, and ABS operation.

The ABS modulator, or ABS pump, is a brake component that rapidly controls brake pressure to prevent wheel lockup. 

It uses a high-pressure pump and valves to adjust braking force in a split second until brakes are released or traction is regained. In many cars, the ECU and pump are integrated into one unit.

ABS sensors, or wheel speed sensors, are mounted at each wheel behind the brake disc or drum. They detect the spinning ABS ring (reluctor ring) on the 

 using a magnetic field, allowing the ECU to monitor wheel speed.

If a wheel locks up during braking, the ECU signals the ABS modulator to adjust brake pressure.

ABS can fail prematurely. Because of the relatively low number of parts involved, it is usually easy to diagnose but can be expensive to fix.

Common if the car has just had work done on a suspension component, 

 or wheel, the ABS sensors can be fragile devices, and a small knock whilst removing other parts can cause them to send faulty readings. 

An ECU diagnostic check should detect this issue, most cars will also warn of some kind of issue with a general ABS warning on the dashboard. ABS sensors range from £30-£150 each, and would usually take less than an hour to change.

An internal ABS pump fault may not always be detectable by software, but cars usually store an error code after a failed ABS attempt. 

ABS modulators can fail due to age or poor brake fluid, which can cause blockages in the valves. Regular 

ABS pumps can be costly, often over £1,000, but refurbishing options might be available. So, always consult your mechanic for advice.

For the ABS to work effectively, the rest of the conventional braking system needs to be in good working order. 

Common faults with the braking system can be a failed master cylinder, old or insufficient brake fluid, excessively 

It’s critical to consult a mechanic if your ABS light is on. However, you can also try these at-home checks first.

These DIY steps are just initial checks, and if you’re unsure, it's best to seek professional help.

The ABS is a miracle for modern drivers. Knowing how to check the ABS system is critical, as you want to ensure it’s working properly at all times.

If for any reason, you suspect your ABS, get your car to a garage as soon as possible. They will be able to perform diagnostic checks and ‘field tests’ to see if the ABS is working as it should. 

enter your vehicle registration and postcode

Apply for Bumper and split the cost of your repair bill into monthly instalments, at no extra cost.

How To Check if Your ABS Is Working

 Hoe te controleren of je ABS werkt

 Cómo comprobar si el ABS funciona correctamente

So erkennst du, ob dein ABS funktioniert

It's no secret that garages can have a reputation as untrustworthy and if you pick the wrong one, you’ll end up with a 

This isn’t the case with most garages. Most are reputable businesses and supply excellent service, but how do you tell the good guys from the bad? 

We've put together a handy guide so you’re in the know. 

How good is the advisors’ knowledge? Have they explained everything in detail? When you’re being advised of the required work, you should be confident you know what you’re paying for. 

If you’re not, ask questions. What does that part do? Why does it need to be replaced? What are the consequences of not replacing it? 

A representative of a good, reputable garage will be well-trained and ready to answer any questions you have. 

Possibly the easiest thing you can do is check the garage’s reviews. Garage owners know that reviews are key to keeping customers walking through the door. 

Word-of-mouth is heavily relied upon in the automotive industry and garages know this. A dependable site will supply the best service possible to ensure their reviews are positive. 

Check their star rating and find out what other customers think. Make sure to check further back than the last month to get the full picture, but if the majority of their reviews are 4 to 5 stars you can be confident you’re dealing with a trustworthy repairer. 

Garages are required to display certificates and insurance for customers to read. If you can see their certificates in plain sight they should be trustworthy. 

Although not the sole indicator of a reliable garage, but are they manufacturer-approved? 

 or Volkswagen franchisees? You can check this on the 

Remember most garages are happy to give a free quote for your vehicle. If you’re not happy with the quote, or you’re not happy with the service provided. Go somewhere else and get a second opinion. Don't agree to work if you’re not confident in them completing. 

 with Bumper and see 1000s of dependable garages and dealerships for

Enter your details to apply to spread the cost of your vehicle maintenance into interest-free monthly instalments. 

Bumper’s guide to choosing a reputable garage

 has integrated with Tjekvik’s on-site dealer self-service solution to offer a secure and seamless remote payment option for customers. 

Customers booked in with dealerships using Tjekvik’s self-service machines will be able to drop their keys off in the locker, select the required work on-screen and, when the car’s ready for pick-up, process their payment using Bumper’s fast and secure PayNow solution. 

The new system is remote and secure, meaning customers won’t have to share sensitive information over the phone. 

PayNow is low cost, with no setup fees, mobile phone fees and a low transaction cost. Accounts are easy to set up and add to your existing Tjekvik machine. 

For more information on adding PayNow to Tjekvik or about Bumper’s PayLater solution, allowing customers to split their repair bill into monthly payments, interest-free, contact our sales team at 

Alastair Shephard

Content Writer